Page 80 of Tender Blackguard

“Quickly, now. The others have already gathered. We’ll need to announce that a third item will be available for purchase.”

Alastair scanned the room in disdain. “You just leave them here?” he asked harshly. “What if they were to escape? Or cause trouble by wailing and shrieking?”

“No need to worry. No sound can get past these walls. And with Dryden out of town, I’m the only person with a key. The men outside will manage anything untoward.” He started back through the door. “Leave the chit and come with me, Warfield. The others are awaiting us.”

Alastair approached the bench and set Lark carefully between the other two women. She moaned softly and her hands lifted before falling heavily back to her lap. Alastair’s chest tightened. Her acting was impeccable. Even he was believing in her groggy vulnerability.

His heart sank heavily to the pit of his stomach.

He hated leaving her there but she’d asked him to trust her and he did. He also had to believe Hale and the Turners would be able to carry out their parts. It was difficult to place so much trust in near strangers. But he had no choice. Their plan had to work, which meant Alastair had to focus on his own role. As long as everything continued as expected, Lark wouldn’t be locked in this room for long.

Straightening, he caught her gaze and held it for an intense moment. He saw no fear in the dark gray depths. Only a resolve that matched his own. Then he forced himself to ignore the tight twist in his chest, and he turned his back on her and left. The sound of Lowndes’s key turning in the lock sent an icy shiver down his back. But he had to focus on what came next.

No matter how honorable Turner’s magistrate might be, he wouldn’t be able to do a thing without proof that each of the men present tonight was knowledgably and willfully engaged in the illegal trafficking of women who’d been abducted and sold against their will. Alastair needed to keep the gentlemen in sight and distracted so the others could have time to infiltrate the building and secure the necessary evidence.

Lowndes led him back through the small office to the hallway. Rather than going back the way Alastair had arrived, Lowndes took him to the other end of the hall, where two more guards stood sentry outside a pair of double doors.

Before the doors were opened, Lowndes turned to Alastair with a stern expression. “Remember, my lord, these men are assuming a certain anonymity. Even if you know them, you must not indicate such within these walls. However false the game, it creates a shield of security and discretion we all rely upon. Tonight’s occurrences are never to be spoken about with anyone else. You understand?”

“You went over all this the other night,” Alastair noted impatiently.

Lowndes narrowed his gaze. “It bears repeating.”

Giving a nod, Alastair conceded. “I understand.”

“Good. Then let’s proceed.” He nodded to the guards who opened both doors to allow them entrance.

The room beyond was a grand drawing room that somewhat resembled the drawing rooms of London’s most exclusive gentlemen’s clubs. Dark, polished mahogany lined the walls. The floor was covered in thick, plush carpeting in a shade of charcoal gray. Sofas and chairs upholstered in a lighter gray were arranged in various groupings before a grand fireplace carved of the finest Italian marble. The far end of the room contained gaming tables. A door in the corner was slightly cracked to allow the music of a string quartet to filter gently in from the room beyond.

With the exception of Dryden, all the expected players were present. Even Lord Buckley, whom Alastair had only just met at Lowndes’s last soirée. In addition, Alastair counted eight more men. A few he recognized, but many he didn’t. All of them dressed to impress in their finest evening wear, some even wore symbols of high military rank or their positions within foreign governments.

It was clear Lowndes’s commitment to anonymity was simply a façade. Apparently, displays of status were more important than discretion for some of them. It shouldn’t surprise him that they simply couldn’t conceive of hiding the evidence of their superiority. They no doubt believed their status was exactly what kept them safe from unwanted consequence. Such conceit would ultimately become their downfall.

“Mingle, my lord,” Lowndes instructed beneath his breath. “Drink the fine champagne. Indulge in a little gambling. Our role is to set our guests at ease. To engage them in the pleasure of the evening and loosen their purse strings.”

“And when does the main event begin?”

“In time.” Lowndes glanced at his watch. “No need to rush.”

Alastair’s tilted smile was genuine as he started toward the gaming tables.

Agreed. There’s no need to rush at all.

#

AFTER ALASTAIR LEFT with Lowndes and the door was locked behind them, Lark sat unmoving for several long moments. Listening.

She listened for any movement of the guards outside the door. But nothing reached her inside the closet.

She listened to the two women in the room with her. One of them whimpered softly and tugged occasionally on the ropes binding her hands behind her back. The other simply breathed short and swift, as though she couldn’t keep up with the panic in her mind. Neither of them attempted to speak despite not being gagged. Perhaps they’d been threatened or maybe they’d already expressed their questions and fears with futile results.

Finally, Lark slowly shifted her position on the bench, sitting straighter as she began a slow, intent perusal of the room. There was no door beyond the one they’d come through and no window. The bench they sat upon appeared to be bolted to the wall, and beyond that, the room was utterly empty.

Lifting her bound wrists, she carefully twisted one hand so she could grasp a hidden loop in the cravat. A sharp tug on the loop loosened the knot enough for her to maneuver her hands free. She gratefully removed her gag next. After licking her lips to ease the minor chapping, she kept her voice to a very low whisper despite Lowndes’s assurance that no sound could escape the room.

“I need you both to stay very calm and very quiet,” she said simply as she shifted first to the girl who was whimpering. Meeting her frightened gaze, Lark gently urged her to turn away so she could access her bound wrists. “I’m going to free you now, but you must not do or say anything until I indicate it’s safe to do so. Do you understand?”

The girl nodded quickly as she twisted to lift her hands.

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